Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities on the status of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong; and obligations the Government has to monitor the implementation of the principles established in that Declaration.

We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.

The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit. In his discussion with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 31 July, the Foreign Secretary raised Hong Kong, including the importance of upholding the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework, which is set out in the Joint Declaration.